Content

• Steps
• Warning

If it stays damp for too long, the clothes will have an unpleasant musty smell due to the presence of mildew. In addition, mold in your washing machine can leave a musty smell on your clothes, even if you dry them right after washing them. Luckily, there are a few simple tips that you can use to get your clothes clean again.

Steps

Method 1 of 3: Remove musty smells when washing

1. 

   Replace laundry detergent with 1 cup (240 ml) of vinegar. White vinegar is a natural and safe cleanser to remove unpleasant odors from clothing, including musty odors. In addition to killing odor-causing bacteria, vinegar also removes most of the products that build up odors on clothes.
   • If you prefer, you can use half of the soap you normally use in combination with vinegar, if the laundry soap is not natural soap.
   • Vinegar breaks down quickly in natural soaps, such as castile soaps, both of which are ineffective when combined.

2. 

   
   
   Wash your clothes with ½ cup (120 ml) baking soda if the smell persists. Vinegar and baking soda both kill fungus and mold, but they attack different strains of bacteria that cause odors. If you've tried vinegar and your clothes still have a musty smell, put ½ cup (120 ml) of baking soda in the washing machine and run it on the hottest water possible.
   • You can add a little vinegar to the rinse cycle after washing your clothes with baking soda.

3. 

   
   
   Use oxygen or borax bleach if you prefer a commercial product. Plain laundry soap may not kill mold. If you prefer a stronger product, choose one that contains oxygen bleach, or dissolve borax in hot water and put it in the washing machine.
   • You can use oxygen bleach instead of regular laundry soap, but borax is often used with soap.

   

   
   

   Bridgett Price

   Cleaning Services Specialist & Co-owner, Maideasy Bridgett is a co-owner of Maid Easy, a household cleaning services company in Phoenix, Arizona. She runs and offers business development initiatives, managing the company's day-to-day operations.

   

   Bridgett Price
   Cleaning Service Specialist & Co-owner, Maideasy

   Expert advice: You can use oxygen bleach as a pre-treatment for deeper cleaning. Pour a small amount of bleach into the fabric, let it soak for a few minutes, then scrub with a brush or sponge before adding it to the washing machine.

4. 

   Use enzyme deodorants used to remove mold caused by perspiration. If you leave your wet gym kit in your bag, the musty smell mixed with your body odor can be difficult to clean. Choose the product that contains the deodorizing enzyme to put in the washing machine.
   • Some laundry soaps contain enzymes that help fight odors, or you can buy a bottle of laundry detergent to use with regular laundry soap.
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Method 2 of 3: Try other methods

1. 

   Hang outside if possible. After washing is finished, use the clothesclip to dry on the outdoor rope for the fresh air and the sun to naturally dry the clothes. Sunlight can kill some of the bacteria that cause unpleasant odors on clothes, which is why clothes dried on outdoor ropes often smell fresh.
   • This method is more effective for natural fibers such as cotton and wool than synthetic fibers like spandex or nylon.
   • Fabric that is exposed to the sun for a long time will fade.

2. 

   Put your clothes in the freezer if you don't want to wash them. Odor bacteria can die when exposed to extremely cold temperatures, so the musty smell on clothes is also reduced. Simply put your clothes in a plastic zippered bag and put them in the freezer overnight.
   • It may sound odd, but freezing clothes is a long-standing secret weapon for denim enthusiasts looking to prolong the life of jeans.

3. 

   Spray white vinegar or vodka on items and let dry. Both white vinegar and vodka can be used to kill the mold-causing bacteria, and since they won't smell once they have evaporated, you can spray them directly onto the fabric. As long as you pour the liquid into a spray bottle, spray it on the fabric and let it air dry, the item will smell nice.
   • If you are in a hurry, put the clothes in the dryer instead of airing.

4. 

   Seal clothing in a bag with activated carbon. Activated carbon has a very effective purification effect, which is why activated carbon is used in water and air filters, beauty products, poison treatment and many other uses. Place the item in a zippered plastic bag with a few activated carbon tablets and leave for at least overnight. For items that smell particularly persistent, you may need to keep them in your bag for up to a week.
   • You can buy the activated carbon at pet stores, vitamin and nutrient stores, or large retail stores.
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Method 3 of 3: Prevent the musty smell from coming back

1. 

   Hang up the wet item immediately to dry. Whether it's a towel you just wiped off after showering or the gym clothes you use after an hour in the gym, don't throw wet clothing on the floor or in the laundry basket. You can squeeze the wet clothes on the walls of a basket or hang them on the rail in the bathroom to dry before washing.
   • Clothes that have been pelleted will stay wet for longer and facilitate mold growth.

2. 

   Use the recommended amount of soap. Too much detergent can cause lather to stick and not wash completely when washing. This amount of soap feeds off the odor-causing bacteria, making the cleanest items also stink. Every time you wash your clothes, you should carefully measure the amount of detergent you need to make sure you don't put too much in the washing machine.
   • Read the instructions on the detergent packaging to see how much to put in the washing machine. If in doubt, add less soap than you think will need.

3. 

   Do not use fabric softener for gym clothes. Fabric softener will make the garment soft and fragrant, but for stretchy gym clothes with synthetic materials, it will leave a slippery residue that is almost impossible to remove and makes water impossible to remove. Absorbs into fabric, meaning clothes will smell unpleasant even when clean.
   • The residue of the fabric softener will allow bacteria to grow as well as when you use too much detergent.

4. 

   Dry or dry clothes immediately after washing. Freshly washed clothes left in the washing machine will cause mold to develop within hours, or even sooner, if it's hot and humid. Try to get your clothes out and put them in the dryer or dry them on the line right after washing.
   • If you have left your clothes in the washing machine too long after washing them, run another wash cycle with vinegar to deodorize before drying.

5. 

   Do not store clothes in a damp room such as a bathroom or basement. If you leave clothes in a humid basement or in a humid environment like a bathroom, moisture in the air will seep into the fabric and develop mold. Instead, keep the clothes in a well-ventilated wardrobe or wardrobe.
   • Dry-cleaning bags can also trap moisture and cause mold to develop on your clothes.
   • If the air in the room is extremely humid, you can put desiccant materials such as silica gel bags in your closet drawers or on the bottom of your closet. You can buy desiccant bags at craft stores or home repair shops.

6. 

   Clean the washing machine if the clothes have a more unpleasant odor after washing. Sometimes mold can develop in your washing machine, especially front load washer, and a musty smell will spread to your clothes. If you think the problem is with the washing machine, soak the rag in hot soapy water and wash the washer around the washer door and detergent drawer, then pour 1 cup (240 ml) of bleach and 1 cup ( 240 ml) baking soda and run the normal wash cycle or the washing machine cleaning cycle.
   • If you like, you can add ½ cup (120 ml) of enzyme laundry soap to increase the deodorizing effect.
   • To prevent mold from developing in your washing machine, keep the door slightly open after each wash to let it dry completely, and always remove the wet clothes immediately after washing.
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Warning

• If you are dealing with large quantities of mold, wear a respirator to avoid inhaling mold spores.